Highly concentrated solar energy has many advantages for application to industrial processes. These processes typically utilize the concentrated energy for heat generation. Also, the unique solar spectrum has been shown to be effective in processes such as decontamination, at both low and high concentrations.
Typical solar energy concentrating devices however are not ideally configured for these applications. Reflecting, or mirrored concentrators such as central receiver systems and parabolic dishes place the concentrated energy above the reflector, and high above the ground. The receiver on a parabolic dish constantly moves as the sun is tracked. These geometries complicate supplying and retrieving materials, liquids, and solids to be processed and cannot be used for irradiating a stationary site at ground level.
Furthermore, the highest energy solar energy wavelengths, the UV, are absorbed by otherwise efficient reflective surfaces, such as those employed in typical solar applications and are therefore not present in the concentrated energy. Although UV is a small content of the available solar spectrum, it has the highest destructive energy. Wavelengths in the 300-nanometer range have been shown to be 200 times more energetic, or destructive, than visible light at 500 nanometers. Additionally, photo-catalytic processes, which may be used for industrial applications require UV for activation. These wavelengths are not available from mirrors. If available, these wavelengths may be utilized to break down organic contaminates and materials, either directly, or in a photo-catalytic manner.
Lastly, use of solar energy for industrial processes requires large area concentration to achieve sufficient energy and temperatures. Circular refracting optics required for high concentration solar applications has heretofore been limited in size by the design and manufacturing process for the prism surface. Moreover, large solar concentrators are subject to high wind loads during operation and when idle.
Ultra Violet C from 100 nm to 280 nm is almost completely absorbed by ozone, and other atmospheric gases and conditions, and ultra violet B from 280 nm to 315 nm is also largely absorbed. Longer than visible wavelengths including Infra red B are also attenuated. However, significant wavelength selective photon flux density remains to impinge on an apparatus and be operated on through transmission and thereby refractive operations on distinct wavelength groups to be processed through concentration to drive photo-thermal, photo-chemical, and photo-catalytic processes.